Rambis takes a pass, Kings hire Westphal as new coach.

[WayOutWest]

I heard someone say that the Kings won't win any more games next year but they'll be fun to watch.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4247234

Updated: June 10, 2009, 8:20 AM ET
Westphal new Kings coachComment Email Print Share By Marc Stein

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Sacramento Kings offered their coaching job to two candidates on an eventful Tuesday in the NBA, ultimately reaching an agreement with Paul Westphal after Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis turned the job down.

League coaching sources told ESPN.com that the Kings made a formal offer to Rambis hours before the Lakers' 108-104 loss to the Orlando Magic in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

When Rambis passed -- having said repeatedly that he was determined to delay any decision about his future after the Finals and with the Kings intent on paying their new hire less than $2 million annually -- Sacramento moved on and agreed with Westphal on a two-year deal with a team option for a third season.

Sources say that the 58-year-old, who has a career record of 267-159 in previous coaching stops in Phoenix and Seattle, will earn $1.5 million for each of the next two seasons, with the Kings to pay Westphal $2 million if they retain him through 2011-12. The agreement was first reported Tuesday night by the Sacramento Bee and later confirmed on the team's Web site by Kings president Geoff Petrie and by Westphal to ESPN's Avery Johnson.

"I have been looking for a good opportunity to get back and do what I like to do and I think that the Kings present an exciting challenge for me," Westphal told the Bee. "I'm really happy I got the job and whatever winding turns it had to take -- I don't even know all the winding turns that it took -- I'm just happy that they decided I'm the guy for them and I can't wait to get started."

Said Petrie: "We set some parameters at the start of this coaching search to look for a successful, experienced leader and Paul certainly meets those qualifications. ... He was very impressive during the interview process and in the subsequent conversations we have had since the interview. Paul also was greatly supported over the past few weeks by many of his former players and staff and others around the NBA game."

The Kings' odds of luring Rambis away from L.A. with only two years guaranteed and at the salary level Westphal accepted were always long, according to Lakers sources, even if Sacramento had waited.

One factor is Rambis' long association with the franchise that thrust him into prominence as a rookie with the unmistakable black glasses in 1981-82. Another is the widely held expectation in Lakers circles that Rambis will receive strong consideration to succeed Lakers coach Phil Jackson when the 63-year-old finally decides to end his Hall of Fame coaching career.

Jackson's contract, paying an estimated $12 million annually, expires after the 2009-10 season. In a January interview with ESPN's Magic Johnson, Jackson revealed that Lakers owner Jerry Buss "would like me to coach longer" but said he prefers to "just do one year at a time."

As he exited Amway Arena after Tuesday's game and headed to the Lakers' bus, Rambis declined comment about the Kings' job.

Westphal, Rambis and Boston Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau were the three finalists for the Kings' vacancy after the candidate they interviewed first -- former Kings coach Eddie Jordan -- instead took a three-year deal worth in excess of $8 million from the Philadelphia 76ers. Westphal reportedly made it clear early in the process that he was eager to return to head coaching and also undeterred by the salary parameters that the Kings had established.

After interviewing with Sacramento between the conference finals and the start of the NBA Finals, Rambis urged the Kings to hold off on their decision until after L.A.'s series with Orlando. But the 47-day search unexpectedly reached a sudden climax Tuesday when the Kings made their pitch to Rambis and told him they could no longer wait.

Westphal hasn't been a head coach in the NBA since being fired early in the 2000-01 season in Seattle but served as the lead assistant to Avery Johnson in Johnson's final season in Dallas in 2007-08. Westphal served this season as the Mavericks' executive vice president, but that was essentially a consulting job away from the team.

Sources say Westphal's deal with the Kings is incentive-laden based on the team's win total.

Sacramento had the league's worst record this season at 17-65, costing Reggie Theus his job in mid-December after 1? seasons as coach, with the Kings at 6-18. Interim replacement Kenny Natt posted a record of 11-47.

Westphal -- Sacramento's fourth coach since the end of Rick Adelman's eight-season run after the 2005-06 season -- reached the NBA Finals twice as a player and once as a coach.

In Charles Barkley's first season in the desert in 1992-93 and Westphal's first as a head coach, Phoenix went 62-20, won a first-round series against the Lakers in five games after falling behind 2-0 -- with Westphal famously guaranteeing the Suns' comeback after they lost the first two games at home -- and finally lost the championship to Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls in six games.

Phoenix made the playoffs two more times before the club dismissed him during the 1995-96 season. He took over the Sonics in 1998, reaching the playoffs in 2000 before getting fired 15 games into the following season. Westphal then moved to the college game at Pepperdine before returning to the NBA, first as a broadcaster and then with the Mavericks.

Westphal's hiring leaves Minnesota as the only team in the league with an unresolved coaching situation. New Wolves president David Kahn and incumbent coach Kevin McHale have met three times but have not yet concluded whether McHale will return to the bench next season.

After working for years on a season-to-season handshake agreement with Wolves owner Glen Taylor, McHale is said to be seeking a multi-year deal before committing to a return. Taylor's preference, sources maintain, is to bring McHale back for next season and then re-evaluate.

Marc Stein is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

[msc]

This is great news.  I really hope Rambis is the eventual successor to Phil Jackson.  I've watched him coach the summer league and seen some behind the scenes footage of Rambo coaching these guys and was really impressed.  He's sharp and has a great command of the game.  I've always liked him, but seeing him in action coaching a bit really blew me away. 

[WayOutWest]

This is great news.  I really hope Rambis is the eventual successor to Phil Jackson.  I've watched him coach the summer league and seen some behind the scenes footage of Rambo coaching these guys and was really impressed.  He's sharp and has a great command of the game.  I've always liked him, but seeing him in action coaching a bit really blew me away. 

I don't remember how he did in his stint as a Lakers coach.

[JoMal]

Well, the earth did not move when I heard the news, and that is the general feeling here is SacTown about the hiring of Westphal as the new Kings' coach. He may turn out to be okay, but from what I heard he is more of what you might call a good "veteran's" coach and not so great with teaching youngsters, which, of course, dominates the Kings' roster. He also has not been a head coaching for nearly a decade and as you all know, things change rapidly with each new generation of kids coming into the NBA.

I never expected Rambis to give up an opportunity to coach the Lakers and instead accept cheap pay to coach a team not likely to contend any time soon. Petrie often has been cited in the media as looking for a coaching candidate that meets the criteria set out by him and the Maloofs. Apparently high on that criteria list was a guy who was desparate to coach so would settle for less money and the likelihood he will be blamed for not delivering a playoff team in two years, so can be justifiably let go at that time.

[msc]

This is great news.  I really hope Rambis is the eventual successor to Phil Jackson.  I've watched him coach the summer league and seen some behind the scenes footage of Rambo coaching these guys and was really impressed.  He's sharp and has a great command of the game.  I've always liked him, but seeing him in action coaching a bit really blew me away. 

I don't remember how he did in his stint as a Lakers coach.

I don't remember his exact record either, just that he took over for a bit when Del Harris was axed.  I think he's learned a lot under Phil.  This is just my opinion based on seeing him in action a few times and listening to his pre-game interviews on the radio for almost the last several years. 

Hopefully Phil signs for a couple of more years and continues to groom Rambis until he ultimately take the reigns. 

[westkoast]

This is great news.  I really hope Rambis is the eventual successor to Phil Jackson.  I've watched him coach the summer league and seen some behind the scenes footage of Rambo coaching these guys and was really impressed.  He's sharp and has a great command of the game.  I've always liked him, but seeing him in action coaching a bit really blew me away. 

I don't remember how he did in his stint as a Lakers coach.

I don't remember his exact record either, just that he took over for a bit when Del Harris was axed.  I think he's learned a lot under Phil.  This is just my opinion based on seeing him in action a few times and listening to his pre-game interviews on the radio for almost the last several years. 

Hopefully Phil signs for a couple of more years and continues to groom Rambis until he ultimately take the reigns. 

If the Lakers win the title this year they will be LUCKY to get him under another 1 yr contract after his current one is up.  Other than that I am sure he is as good as gone.  The man is 60 years old and the only thing left to really accomplish in his career is that 10th title. 

Really if you think about it that is a title that is not going to be matched for a REALLY long time.  Maybe not ever.

Everytime I hear about the Kings and a coaching issue it makes me wonder why they got rid of Adleman in the first place.  Still scratching my head over that one.  Hopefully Wesphal is a better coach than commentator....